After decades of disuse, soft and feminine Evelyn has returned to the baby name stage in a huge way. It reached the Top 10 for the first time in 2017. Evelyn has now surpassed its former heights, joining a legion of contemporary little Evas, Avas, Eves, Evies, and Evelines.

After decades of disuse, soft and feminine Evelyn has returned to the baby name stage in a huge way. It reached the Top 10 for the first time in 2017. Evelyn has now surpassed its former heights, joining a legion of contemporary little Evas, Avas, Eves, Evies, and Evelines.

One spelling variation that's more popular than the original, this somewhat old-fashioned name might be in honor of poet Gwendolyn Brooks, the first African-American to win a Pulitzer prize for poetry, or may be a way to get to the modern short form Gwen.

For a name that was in the Top 20 for a whole decade – the 1930's – Marilyn has attained the status of almost a one-person name. Just say the name Marilyn, and most people will know who you mean. Yet strangely enough, though Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jean and renamed in tribute to earlier star Marilyn Miller) was the sex symbol of her generation, very little stardust adhered to her name. In fact, when Mariah Carey wished to honor the star in her daughter's name, she chose to call her Monroe rather than Marilyn.

Jocelyn has gotten new life and popularity as a result of the current passion for lyn endings. Though it was a male name in medieval times, now Jocelyn couldn't sound more softly feminine.

Capturing some of the playful elegance of Madeleine, while avoiding any confusion over the end sound, Madelyn is now an established spelling variation of the French classic. Sweet but strong, Madelyn is a versatile choice that lends itself to the almost inevitable nickname Maddy.

Adalyn is one of a large group of Ad-beginning names for girls, which include Adeline and Adalynn and Adelaide and Addison — essentially, anything leading to the popular nickname Addie is in. Adalyn is a beautiful name, but be prepared to have to spell it out for people often. Adalyn entered the charts in 2007 and rose quickly, but has been fairly steady in the mid 100s for nearly 10 years now.

This name is a combination of the traditional Grace and the popular suffix -lyn. Gracelyn could work as an alternative to the popular Brooklyn while also sharing the modern feel of Emberlynn and Oaklyn.

Hollyn combines the Christmas- and nature-inspired feel of Holly, with the preppy, unisex style of Collins, all stung together with the globetrotter flair of Holland and the trendy -lyn ending of Gracelyn, Raelyn, and co. The name first appeared in the US stats back in the 70s,but remained obscure until the 2010s when it began trending upwards.

Extreme makeover: Brooklyn has gone from jokey Borough Boy name in the 1990s to a leading girls' name starting with B. The status of New York's Brooklyn as hipster heaven is ironic as few bona fide Brooklyn hipsters would choose this name.

True Blood may be the reason that variation Rosalyn has retained some popularity while the original Rosalind still languishes. Moderately popular in the middle of the last century, Rosalyn may deserve its revival but we still prefer the more classic Rosalind.

The phonetic Carolyn spelling, which was very popular from the 1920s to the '60s, has been steadily on the wane while Caroline herself has stayed strong.

One of the most popular of the trendy Caitlin variations, Katelyn points directly to components Kate and Lyn --making it a bit more traditionally feminine.

Adeline in all its forms, including Adelyn, is rocketing up the list, but we do prefer the original to the variations. Or you might consider varying it yet further to Adelia, Adele, or Adelaide. Or lengthen it to Madeline/Madelyn.

Part Ava, part Evelyn, this name made its first appearance in the US Top 1000 in 2013 when it was one of the fastest-rising names of the year. Joining Gracelyn, Raelynn, and Emmalyn in the charts, Avalyn followed the same pattern of smooshing together a popular name with the suffix -lynn.

Though it relates to the Irish original, Ashlyn and its next most popular form, Ashlynn, owe more of their popularity as baby names in the US to the megastar Ashley, though all three have been dropping on the charts lately.

If you can add Lyn to it, someone will. This particular -lyn name is a rising star of the 2020s, having entered the US Top 1000 in 2022, alongside sister spelling Lakelynn. Meaning "lake lake" or "pretty lake", depending on which Lynn meaning you choose to apply, it could also be viewed as a feminine form of Lachlan ("lake land").

Katlyn is a feminine name that represents a modern spelling variation of Katherine or Caitlin. With Germanic and Irish roots, the name ultimately derives from the Greek 'Aikaterine,' possibly meaning 'pure.' This contemporary spelling emerged during the late 20th century when parents began seeking unique ways to spell traditional names. Katlyn offers a streamlined, phonetic approach to the classic name while maintaining its elegant sound and rich history. The name peaked in popularity in the United States during the 1990s, embodying the trend toward distinctive spellings of familiar names. Katlyn projects an image of friendliness and approachability while still connecting to a name with royal and saintly associations throughout European history.

Scotlyn is a smoosh name that sounds almost like Scotland but has more cred as a first name. Moving quickly up the popularity ladder but still hiding beneath the Top 1000, Scotlyn can also be spelled Scotlynn.

Fallyn is a modern feminine name with an enchanting quality. It appears to blend elements of traditional Irish surnames like Fallon (meaning 'leader' or 'superiority') with the popular '-lyn' ending found in names like Brooklyn and Evelyn. This creative combination gives the name both Celtic roots and contemporary style. Fallyn evokes images of autumn through its phonetic similarity to 'falling,' perhaps suggesting the grace of falling leaves. The name has gained moderate recognition since the early 2000s, appealing to parents seeking something distinctive yet easy to pronounce. Its relatively rare status makes it stand out while still sounding familiar enough to be accessible. The name carries a sense of natural beauty and gentle strength that resonates with modern naming preferences.